[fic; 30emo] Horizon
Title: Horizon
Chapter: #5 of The Long Chain Cycle
Author: Cross (xmachina_writes)
Band/Pairing: DBSK, w-inds., alicenine., LM.C.
30emotions Prompt: #01: Amusement
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: um...mentions of het? strange and colorful characters?
Word Count: 2209
Summary: Having some friends is good, but having more is even better.
Rewind: Long Chain - Fanboy - Encounter in Kyoto - Returning
Comments: Almost forgot I was going to post again tonight. Oops. Um, a lot of faces in this you might not recognize, so I'm putting links in the first time the non-DBSK names come up. :) Also, footnotes at the end. :p
~*~*~
Hand-written letters didn't last long before turning into e-mails and phone calls. Faster, easier, and there was something about being able to hear the voice on the other end, to having that real-time connection that was just better. The written word couldn't convey Keita's laughter or Ryuichi's sarcasm or Ryohei's dry wit the same way. The only real disadvantage was the way everyone else would look at him or practically cling to his every word whenever he was on the phone with any of the three of them.
So it was something of a relief to hear they would be going to Japan for another six-month stay. For one thing, it meant he could actually get his bandmates off his back by introducing them to w-inds, thereby getting them to shut up about it. It would also mean getting to see his friends again, something he hadn't been able to do in months now.
Naturally, the whole first month they were scheduled to be in Tokyo, w-inds was scheduled to be touring elsewhere in Asia, except for the first two days. Knowing how precious those last few days before a long tour could be, no one had tried asking him to arrange a meeting. And he didn't bother to tell them he was planning to have dinner with Ryohei the first night in Tokyo.
~*~*~
“Hey Min-kun, would you mind if I dragged you out to a party that night instead of just us having dinner?”
“Party? I don't mind, but what kind of party?”
“Kei-chan's record just went platinum, so the label's doing a private party thing. I'll mail the invite to your Tokyo address.”
“So I can't just be your guest for the night?”
“Sorry, Min-kun, but I don't think my girlfriend would like that too much.”
“Yeah, probably not,” he agreed, chuckling. Well, not quite what he'd hoped, but it wouldn't bother him.
“Am I going to have to find a date of my own or is it okay to turn up stag?”
“You should be fine, unless you really want to bring someone with you. I mean, it's not like anyone would give you a hard time about it.”
“All right, well, I'll be there. See you then.”
He'd go alone. Turning up with one of his bandmates as his guest might give people the wrong idea, for one thing. And having to choose just one would be a nightmare. Of course that meant he was going to have to be careful, to be sure to check the mail first thing before anyone else could see the invite and wonder what it was. At least no one would wonder much if he packed a tuxedo to take with them. He would have to be a little more cautious about sneaking out that night, but he was sure he could figure out something.
~*~*~
The party started out feeling a bit stiff and formal, but it didn't stay that way for long. It always amused Changmin to see the effect alcohol could have on people. And generally made him all the more certain that he really didn't want anything to do with the substance ever again if he could avoid it. The way people would completely lose control of themselves ... it was not something he ever wanted to experience for himself, no matter how amusing it was to see in others.
“Min-kun! Great, you made it. I was a little worried there, with this being your first night in town and all.”
“Eh, I've gotten pretty good at sneaking around, I guess. Congrats on the album sales, by the way, Keita-kun.”
“Are you here on your own then?” Ryuichi asked, appearing from who knew where to pop up at Changmin's side not unlike a mushroom. “Surprised you didn't bring a guest.”
“Well, I wasn't entirely sure what sort of a party this was going to be and I didn't want anyone getting any wrong ideas about things, so....”
“All the more reason to let me introduce you around,” the shorter singer declared with a wide grin. Someone had obviously been drinking already, but Changmin didn't say anything. It wasn't like saying something would make Ryuichi any more sober. Certainly wasn't hurting anything, getting introduced around to various label people. Even though Tohoshinki wasn't looking to move, well, it was always a good thing to have more contacts in the industry.
“Kei-chan!”
“Hiroppon!”
Changmin stepped back a half pace, amused at the blond blur that tackle-glomped Keita. Someone else who had been drinking a bit much already? Someone the couple apparently knew fairly well, since Ryuichi was laughing just as much as Keita was.
“Don't forget to let him breathe, Pon,” a fourth man said, joining their group with a slight grin that scattered light from the short spike just below the right corner of his lip.
“Oh yeah,” the blond said, getting up and then helping Keita to his feet as well. “Great job with the record, Kei-chan. Who's your friend?”
“Why this is Min-kun, of course,” Keita said, latching onto Changmin's arm in a way the other singer hadn't since that first night. “Shim Changmin of Tohoshinki, to be more precise. Min-kun, I'd like you to meet friends of ours. Well, Shinji's a friend, Hiroto is Ryu-chan's cousin twice removed or something.”
“How many times do I have to tell you, it's Tora?” the one with the piercing said, mock-grumbling if the laughter in his eyes was any indication. And then he was offering a hand to Changmin. “Amano Shinji, stage name of Tora. Nice to meet you, Changmin-kun.”
“Likewise, Tora-san,” Changmin replied, freeing his arm from Keita just enough to be able to shake the other man's hand. He bit back a laugh as Tora was elbowed aside by his shorter companion.
“Ogata Hiroto, lead guitarist of alicenine., pleasure to meet you,” the blond was saying as he offered his hand, shooting a positively mischievous look at Tora.
“Only when I let you be, Squirrelbutt,” Tora rumbled, playfully punching Hiroto's shoulder.
“Pleasure to meet you, Hiroto-san,” Changmin added, shaking the offered hand and trying to smother a chuckle. Finally more people his own age, or close to it at any rate.
“Torarara! Hiropipyon!”
Keita tugged Changmin backwards just in time to keep him from being steamrolled by the lanky blond assaulting the two guitarists.
“Sorry about that,” and Changmin turned towards the new voice. Another musician, he was guessing, based on the pink streaks in black hair. Or was it black streaks in pink hair? “Maya's a little excitable and we haven't seen his old labelmates too much lately. I'm Aiji, by the way.”
“Changmin, and I'm starting to feel a little silly for being worried about not having anyone to talk to here,” he confessed, squashing the urge to blush. “But when Ryo-kun said it was a small label party....”
“LM.C is signed with Pony Canyon,” Aiji said with a gesture to indicate himself and the blond attached to Tora at the moment. “What's your excuse?”
“Ryo-kun sent me an invite,” he said, shrugging. “Shouldn't he be congratulating Keita? Just out of politeness?”
“Maya's never been one to worry overmuch about being polite,” Aiji said, grinning. “If you hadn't noticed from the way he almost mowed you over.
“If Aiji doesn't stop trying to slander Maya's good name, Maya is going to start calling him bad things in public,” the blond declared, turning his head just enough to stick his tongue out at them. “Besides, Maya took Kei-chan out for lunch yesterday to celebrate, which is more than Aiji's done.”
“Um, does he always talk in the third person like that?” Changmin murmured, not sure it was the sort of question he really ought to have been asking, but unable to contain his curiosity either.
“Only when he's in a certain mood,” Aiji replied, smirking. “Korean, right? Seems a long way to come for just this.”
“Ah, well, Tohoshinki just came back to Tokyo earlier today, actually. So not really that far.”
“Tohoshinki...,” Aiji murmured, eyes losing focus. “I know that name. Why do I know that name?”
“Can't possibly be because they're the most popular Korean import pop group here in Japan right now,” Keita inserted, and Changmin couldn't help wondering about the way the older singer was draping over him. After the way things had gone before, he'd assumed that Keita wouldn't be interested in that sort of thing anymore. Had he been wrong or was this just the way Keita showed affection towards his friends?
“Oh hush, you. Show some respect for your elders.”
“Hey, this is my party, I'll be a brat if I want to!” Keita challenged, a mischievous grin lighting his voice.
“Elders?” Changmin accepted that he was the youngest of their growing conversational circle, but he hadn't thought it was by all that much. He knew Ryohei was four years older than him and while Tora was most likely older than that, he had just assumed Hiroto and Maya were about the same age as Keita and Ryuichi. Surely Aiji wasn't far beyond that, so maybe it was because Maya's antics seemed able to make most anyone else look old in comparison.
“Mm,” Keita purred against his ear. “Aiji's an old fart, been in the rock scene since the nineties. He's over thirty, you know. Positively ancient. No idea what Maya sees in him.”
“I'd smack you, but I don't want to hurt Changmin-kun,” Aiji grumbled, though Changmin thought he saw a smile lurking about the man's lips. “Besides, shouldn't you be showing gratitude to your guests and thanking them for coming?”
“You just want Min-kun to yourself so you can do unspeakable things to him,” Keita was saying as he let go of Changmin. Which was hardly a reassuring act on his part, even though he was pretty sure his friend was just teasing.
“The thought hadn't even crossed my mind. Although, if Min-kun wants me to do unspeakable things to him....”
He could feel himself blushing at the way Aiji was very obvious about checking him out.
“Just be careful with him, Aiji-san - Min-kun's still a minor~” Keita called before he trotted off to deal with more guests. If Changmin hadn't been bright red already, he certainly was then. Why did Keita have to say it like that? Sure, technically it was true, but that didn't mean Keita had to make it sound so dirty. It wasn't like Changmin was some blushing virgin - no matter how much he was emulating one at the moment - or even all that much younger. Just a little while longer and he'd be twenty, a fully legal adult.
“You don't look that young to me,” Aiji was saying, giving him another once over.
“I'm not - I turn twenty in a couple more months. Keita's just being himself.”
“Oh, well, in that case,” and Aiji draped an arm around his shoulders, an interesting gesture considering Changmin was at least half a foot taller than the older man.
“Um....”
“Aijiiiiiiiiiii.... You're talking to a pretty boy and not introducing me? You're so meeeeeeeeean to me!” Maya's tone might have been a whine, but there was laughter dancing in those eyes and in Hiroto's as well, still caught in Maya's arms.
“Min-kun, might I introduce my delinquent partner and the voice of Lovely Mocochang, Maya. Mayatan, this is Changmin of Tohoshinki.”
“Pleasure to meet you, Maya-san.”
“You look like a hugger. Are you a hugger, Changmin-kun? I'll bet you are,” Maya rambled, letting go of Hiroto. And before Changmin could get a word in edgewise, he was being glomped by the singer. Not that he really minded, it was just unexpected. And Maya was quite the enthusiastic hugger, not entirely unlike Yoochun, actually.
“Welcome to Japan, Changmin-kun! If you need someone to show you around and Kei-chan's too busy, don't be afraid to give me a call!”
“I appreciate the thought, Maya-san, but I've been here quite a bit in the last couple of years, I pretty much know my way around the city.”
“Hnh. Makes sense. Your Japanese is really good, too, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised, ne? Still, I'll bet I know some places you don't,” the singer was saying, one arm draped around Changmin's shoulders as he seemingly tried to tug him away from Aiji. “And people. Some friends are good, more is better, and who couldn't use more friends, right?”
Maya had a point there, more friends wouldn't hurt anything. Maybe discuss things with Yunho, make arrangements for some group outings? Did they even do those sorts of things here? Maybe he should discuss it with Maya and Aiji first, see what they thought of the whole idea. His bandmates could be a little overwhelming, he didn't want to force them on the unaware.
“Well, they're going out the day after tomorrow for a whole month, so ... maybe we can arrange something?”
“Oh I thought you'd never ask,” Maya purred, grinning in pure mischief. He could already tell he was going to like Maya and that the blond's plans were going to be made of win and wicked fun. Well, a little light-hearted pranking never hurt anyone ... not too seriously, anyway. And he owed his hyung some devilment.
---
End notes:
- Ogata is not that uncommon a surname that there's really any reason to believe Ryuichi and Hiroto are in any way related to each other ... but it makes things more fun, so we pretend.
- Maya used to be lead support guitarist for Miyavi, who is alicenine.'s sempai, so while LM.C. has been around for a little over a year now, there was plenty of time before that for Maya to meet Tora and Hiroto
- Similarly, LM.C. has been signed to Pony Canyon since their start, so plenty of time to form a connection that way.
Chapter: #5 of The Long Chain Cycle
Author: Cross (xmachina_writes)
Band/Pairing: DBSK, w-inds., alicenine., LM.C.
30emotions Prompt: #01: Amusement
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: um...mentions of het? strange and colorful characters?
Word Count: 2209
Summary: Having some friends is good, but having more is even better.
Rewind: Long Chain - Fanboy - Encounter in Kyoto - Returning
Comments: Almost forgot I was going to post again tonight. Oops. Um, a lot of faces in this you might not recognize, so I'm putting links in the first time the non-DBSK names come up. :) Also, footnotes at the end. :p
~*~*~
Hand-written letters didn't last long before turning into e-mails and phone calls. Faster, easier, and there was something about being able to hear the voice on the other end, to having that real-time connection that was just better. The written word couldn't convey Keita's laughter or Ryuichi's sarcasm or Ryohei's dry wit the same way. The only real disadvantage was the way everyone else would look at him or practically cling to his every word whenever he was on the phone with any of the three of them.
So it was something of a relief to hear they would be going to Japan for another six-month stay. For one thing, it meant he could actually get his bandmates off his back by introducing them to w-inds, thereby getting them to shut up about it. It would also mean getting to see his friends again, something he hadn't been able to do in months now.
Naturally, the whole first month they were scheduled to be in Tokyo, w-inds was scheduled to be touring elsewhere in Asia, except for the first two days. Knowing how precious those last few days before a long tour could be, no one had tried asking him to arrange a meeting. And he didn't bother to tell them he was planning to have dinner with Ryohei the first night in Tokyo.
~*~*~
“Hey Min-kun, would you mind if I dragged you out to a party that night instead of just us having dinner?”
“Party? I don't mind, but what kind of party?”
“Kei-chan's record just went platinum, so the label's doing a private party thing. I'll mail the invite to your Tokyo address.”
“So I can't just be your guest for the night?”
“Sorry, Min-kun, but I don't think my girlfriend would like that too much.”
“Yeah, probably not,” he agreed, chuckling. Well, not quite what he'd hoped, but it wouldn't bother him.
“Am I going to have to find a date of my own or is it okay to turn up stag?”
“You should be fine, unless you really want to bring someone with you. I mean, it's not like anyone would give you a hard time about it.”
“All right, well, I'll be there. See you then.”
He'd go alone. Turning up with one of his bandmates as his guest might give people the wrong idea, for one thing. And having to choose just one would be a nightmare. Of course that meant he was going to have to be careful, to be sure to check the mail first thing before anyone else could see the invite and wonder what it was. At least no one would wonder much if he packed a tuxedo to take with them. He would have to be a little more cautious about sneaking out that night, but he was sure he could figure out something.
~*~*~
The party started out feeling a bit stiff and formal, but it didn't stay that way for long. It always amused Changmin to see the effect alcohol could have on people. And generally made him all the more certain that he really didn't want anything to do with the substance ever again if he could avoid it. The way people would completely lose control of themselves ... it was not something he ever wanted to experience for himself, no matter how amusing it was to see in others.
“Min-kun! Great, you made it. I was a little worried there, with this being your first night in town and all.”
“Eh, I've gotten pretty good at sneaking around, I guess. Congrats on the album sales, by the way, Keita-kun.”
“Are you here on your own then?” Ryuichi asked, appearing from who knew where to pop up at Changmin's side not unlike a mushroom. “Surprised you didn't bring a guest.”
“Well, I wasn't entirely sure what sort of a party this was going to be and I didn't want anyone getting any wrong ideas about things, so....”
“All the more reason to let me introduce you around,” the shorter singer declared with a wide grin. Someone had obviously been drinking already, but Changmin didn't say anything. It wasn't like saying something would make Ryuichi any more sober. Certainly wasn't hurting anything, getting introduced around to various label people. Even though Tohoshinki wasn't looking to move, well, it was always a good thing to have more contacts in the industry.
“Kei-chan!”
“Hiroppon!”
Changmin stepped back a half pace, amused at the blond blur that tackle-glomped Keita. Someone else who had been drinking a bit much already? Someone the couple apparently knew fairly well, since Ryuichi was laughing just as much as Keita was.
“Don't forget to let him breathe, Pon,” a fourth man said, joining their group with a slight grin that scattered light from the short spike just below the right corner of his lip.
“Oh yeah,” the blond said, getting up and then helping Keita to his feet as well. “Great job with the record, Kei-chan. Who's your friend?”
“Why this is Min-kun, of course,” Keita said, latching onto Changmin's arm in a way the other singer hadn't since that first night. “Shim Changmin of Tohoshinki, to be more precise. Min-kun, I'd like you to meet friends of ours. Well, Shinji's a friend, Hiroto is Ryu-chan's cousin twice removed or something.”
“How many times do I have to tell you, it's Tora?” the one with the piercing said, mock-grumbling if the laughter in his eyes was any indication. And then he was offering a hand to Changmin. “Amano Shinji, stage name of Tora. Nice to meet you, Changmin-kun.”
“Likewise, Tora-san,” Changmin replied, freeing his arm from Keita just enough to be able to shake the other man's hand. He bit back a laugh as Tora was elbowed aside by his shorter companion.
“Ogata Hiroto, lead guitarist of alicenine., pleasure to meet you,” the blond was saying as he offered his hand, shooting a positively mischievous look at Tora.
“Only when I let you be, Squirrelbutt,” Tora rumbled, playfully punching Hiroto's shoulder.
“Pleasure to meet you, Hiroto-san,” Changmin added, shaking the offered hand and trying to smother a chuckle. Finally more people his own age, or close to it at any rate.
“Torarara! Hiropipyon!”
Keita tugged Changmin backwards just in time to keep him from being steamrolled by the lanky blond assaulting the two guitarists.
“Sorry about that,” and Changmin turned towards the new voice. Another musician, he was guessing, based on the pink streaks in black hair. Or was it black streaks in pink hair? “Maya's a little excitable and we haven't seen his old labelmates too much lately. I'm Aiji, by the way.”
“Changmin, and I'm starting to feel a little silly for being worried about not having anyone to talk to here,” he confessed, squashing the urge to blush. “But when Ryo-kun said it was a small label party....”
“LM.C is signed with Pony Canyon,” Aiji said with a gesture to indicate himself and the blond attached to Tora at the moment. “What's your excuse?”
“Ryo-kun sent me an invite,” he said, shrugging. “Shouldn't he be congratulating Keita? Just out of politeness?”
“Maya's never been one to worry overmuch about being polite,” Aiji said, grinning. “If you hadn't noticed from the way he almost mowed you over.
“If Aiji doesn't stop trying to slander Maya's good name, Maya is going to start calling him bad things in public,” the blond declared, turning his head just enough to stick his tongue out at them. “Besides, Maya took Kei-chan out for lunch yesterday to celebrate, which is more than Aiji's done.”
“Um, does he always talk in the third person like that?” Changmin murmured, not sure it was the sort of question he really ought to have been asking, but unable to contain his curiosity either.
“Only when he's in a certain mood,” Aiji replied, smirking. “Korean, right? Seems a long way to come for just this.”
“Ah, well, Tohoshinki just came back to Tokyo earlier today, actually. So not really that far.”
“Tohoshinki...,” Aiji murmured, eyes losing focus. “I know that name. Why do I know that name?”
“Can't possibly be because they're the most popular Korean import pop group here in Japan right now,” Keita inserted, and Changmin couldn't help wondering about the way the older singer was draping over him. After the way things had gone before, he'd assumed that Keita wouldn't be interested in that sort of thing anymore. Had he been wrong or was this just the way Keita showed affection towards his friends?
“Oh hush, you. Show some respect for your elders.”
“Hey, this is my party, I'll be a brat if I want to!” Keita challenged, a mischievous grin lighting his voice.
“Elders?” Changmin accepted that he was the youngest of their growing conversational circle, but he hadn't thought it was by all that much. He knew Ryohei was four years older than him and while Tora was most likely older than that, he had just assumed Hiroto and Maya were about the same age as Keita and Ryuichi. Surely Aiji wasn't far beyond that, so maybe it was because Maya's antics seemed able to make most anyone else look old in comparison.
“Mm,” Keita purred against his ear. “Aiji's an old fart, been in the rock scene since the nineties. He's over thirty, you know. Positively ancient. No idea what Maya sees in him.”
“I'd smack you, but I don't want to hurt Changmin-kun,” Aiji grumbled, though Changmin thought he saw a smile lurking about the man's lips. “Besides, shouldn't you be showing gratitude to your guests and thanking them for coming?”
“You just want Min-kun to yourself so you can do unspeakable things to him,” Keita was saying as he let go of Changmin. Which was hardly a reassuring act on his part, even though he was pretty sure his friend was just teasing.
“The thought hadn't even crossed my mind. Although, if Min-kun wants me to do unspeakable things to him....”
He could feel himself blushing at the way Aiji was very obvious about checking him out.
“Just be careful with him, Aiji-san - Min-kun's still a minor~” Keita called before he trotted off to deal with more guests. If Changmin hadn't been bright red already, he certainly was then. Why did Keita have to say it like that? Sure, technically it was true, but that didn't mean Keita had to make it sound so dirty. It wasn't like Changmin was some blushing virgin - no matter how much he was emulating one at the moment - or even all that much younger. Just a little while longer and he'd be twenty, a fully legal adult.
“You don't look that young to me,” Aiji was saying, giving him another once over.
“I'm not - I turn twenty in a couple more months. Keita's just being himself.”
“Oh, well, in that case,” and Aiji draped an arm around his shoulders, an interesting gesture considering Changmin was at least half a foot taller than the older man.
“Um....”
“Aijiiiiiiiiiii.... You're talking to a pretty boy and not introducing me? You're so meeeeeeeeean to me!” Maya's tone might have been a whine, but there was laughter dancing in those eyes and in Hiroto's as well, still caught in Maya's arms.
“Min-kun, might I introduce my delinquent partner and the voice of Lovely Mocochang, Maya. Mayatan, this is Changmin of Tohoshinki.”
“Pleasure to meet you, Maya-san.”
“You look like a hugger. Are you a hugger, Changmin-kun? I'll bet you are,” Maya rambled, letting go of Hiroto. And before Changmin could get a word in edgewise, he was being glomped by the singer. Not that he really minded, it was just unexpected. And Maya was quite the enthusiastic hugger, not entirely unlike Yoochun, actually.
“Welcome to Japan, Changmin-kun! If you need someone to show you around and Kei-chan's too busy, don't be afraid to give me a call!”
“I appreciate the thought, Maya-san, but I've been here quite a bit in the last couple of years, I pretty much know my way around the city.”
“Hnh. Makes sense. Your Japanese is really good, too, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised, ne? Still, I'll bet I know some places you don't,” the singer was saying, one arm draped around Changmin's shoulders as he seemingly tried to tug him away from Aiji. “And people. Some friends are good, more is better, and who couldn't use more friends, right?”
Maya had a point there, more friends wouldn't hurt anything. Maybe discuss things with Yunho, make arrangements for some group outings? Did they even do those sorts of things here? Maybe he should discuss it with Maya and Aiji first, see what they thought of the whole idea. His bandmates could be a little overwhelming, he didn't want to force them on the unaware.
“Well, they're going out the day after tomorrow for a whole month, so ... maybe we can arrange something?”
“Oh I thought you'd never ask,” Maya purred, grinning in pure mischief. He could already tell he was going to like Maya and that the blond's plans were going to be made of win and wicked fun. Well, a little light-hearted pranking never hurt anyone ... not too seriously, anyway. And he owed his hyung some devilment.
---
End notes:
- Ogata is not that uncommon a surname that there's really any reason to believe Ryuichi and Hiroto are in any way related to each other ... but it makes things more fun, so we pretend.
- Maya used to be lead support guitarist for Miyavi, who is alicenine.'s sempai, so while LM.C. has been around for a little over a year now, there was plenty of time before that for Maya to meet Tora and Hiroto
- Similarly, LM.C. has been signed to Pony Canyon since their start, so plenty of time to form a connection that way.